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This article will address some of the most intriguing solar energy facts. Solar energy is generally one of the most ecologically sound and desirable sources of power these days. Let’s get going with the obvious. Solar power has been in existence since the dawn of time. It has been used by microbial, plant, and animal life as a primary energy supply. Plants, using photosynthesis, create nearly all of the food on the earth and are at the base of the food chain. Furthermore the fossil fuels we rely on so heavily nowadays are created from plants and animals that lived a long time ago. Only in recent times have human beings been able to capture solar energy so that it may be utilized any time of day and night, and in any weather, stored and transferred.

Annually, the earth’s atmosphere absorbs 3.85 million exajoules of energy from our sun. This most likely doesn’t mean much to you, however by comparison, the entire use of electric energy by all people today around the world is just 56.7 exajoules per year. This indicates that within a few hours, the earth receives more energy from the sun than people expend during an entire year! Solar energy is a remarkably clean supply of energy simply because, in contrast to fossil fuels, making use of this kind of energy doesn’t discharge carbon dioxide or other types of harmful toxins into the environment. Furthermore solar energy is collected by almost every single form of life. You’ve almost certainly never seen a reptile collect wood to start a fire, but you most likely have seen one lying on a rock to absorb solar energy. Solar power is probably the most environmentally sound energy option attainable right now.

Perhaps you may be wondering what exactly solar power is capable of doing for our environment. Every year, humans consume 467 exajoules of energy by utilizing several principal power sources: burning coal, gasoline, and oil, along with ‘green’ sources like wind, solar, and hydro energy. However, if we could capture just 10% of the sun’s energy, we would have the capacity to replace all of the fossil fuel sources and have enough space for growth. Without any doubt solar energy facts like this make it clear how much better solar power is for the environment and how great the potential is for solar energy development.

Considering that you’ve seen some of the most remarkable solar energy facts and now have an understanding regarding what solar energy can possibly do for the environment, you’d probably want to know just exactly what solar energy is. To put it simply, solar energy is the heat and light energy emitted from the sun. The sun constantly generates vast quantities of energy into our solar system. Approximately 30% of the sun’s energy that reaches the earth is immediately deflected by the atmosphere, and another 20% is absorbed into the atmosphere. However, around 50% of the energy actually reaches the earth’s surface, where it fuels photosynthesis in plants, maintains both hot tropical and warm temperate climates, maintains the temperature of the ocean, and generally speaking keeps our planet alive. All of this is accomplished without creating any pollution or destruction of natural resources.

A lot of people don’t understand how solar energy functions on the technical level, and so they wonder just what solar energy is going to provide to their homes, businesses, and communities. In the last three decades, solar energy technology has developed at an accelerated rate. Solar energy is gathered at a number of large power plants in the U.S., Spain, Australia, and in other nations, where it delivers power directly to the power grid. This implies that countless houses around the globe already get electrical power generated by the sun. One of several lesser known solar energy facts is that solar power can also be employed on a considerably smaller scale. Solar panels on households and businesses, can certainly create a percentage (or possibly all) of the power these buildings have to have. On an even smaller scale, solar panel systems are put to use in India and Indonesia to disinfect water, and compact solar burners and ovens are often employed in order to cook food in other regions of the globe. Solar energy might be employed to power practically any procedure you can visualize, from large-scale power generation for towns and cities to boiling a single pot of water.

What makes all of these different uses achievable is the development of solar energy systems. You will notice two standard varieties of solar energy technologies presently used today: solar thermal energy (STE) and photovoltaic (PV) energy. Solar thermal collectors just harness the heat or thermal energy generated by the sun. This thermal energy is generally used to heat water which in turn can easily be stored and used for common every day requirements or piped to a household heating system. STE may be stored by heating up or energizing a thermal mass that is designed to continue to radiate heat even when the sun isn’t shining. Solar thermal collectors actually are significantly more efficient in comparison with photovoltaic collectors but on the other hand energy storage is somewhat more cumbersome. Photovoltaic solar panel systems produce electricity when exposed to sunlight. This electric current may be used immediately or alternatively stored by using batteries for later use. This is actually one of the more significant solar energy facts whenever you are dealing with PV energy systems. Battery storage is incredibly significant since it means it is possible to store solar power for use through the night or during cloudy or rainy days.

Solar energy is a very important alternative power source which can help us take care of our environment. It can also help to cut down our reliance on fossil fuels. You may be asking yourself just how big of an expense it is going to be for you to convert to solar power? Solar power is not really as costly as most people think. A total solar energy system for a house can potentially cost more than $30,000, having said that this does not really mean you will be paying that total amount. To begin with, you will discover lots of different incentive plans, which include tax credits, rebates and grants, that may reduce the price of installing solar panel systems by 30% or more. One other option you might wish to look into is a smaller solar energy system that just supplements your household power needs. A smaller sized system will cost considerably less, while still lowering your current energy bills, and it will certainly help make your home much more environmentally sound. Currently most electrical power is generated using fossil fuels. So lowering your use of electrical power from the area power company by 50% is actually an important step towards establishing a sustainable power grid.

In this article, we’ve made an effort to supply you with a number of helpful and thought provoking solar energy facts. While you contemplate these facts, also think about just how much value you put on the quality of the environment and on humanity’s ability to preserve it. No matter if fossil fuels do not run out during the next 50 years, it’s very likely that their continued use as our primary energy source is going to wreak environmental havoc. Investing in solar power now might not instantly help you save money, but your monetary investment can certainly provide an improved future for everybody under the sun.

It’s truly important for all people to learn a few standard solar energy facts to ensure that they can truly appreciate the entire potential and various fields of applications for this plentiful energy supply. Solar power is definitely the most ecologically friendly and most desirable of all alternative energy resources. Presently yearly worldwide energy usage is around approximately 550 exajoules (523 Quadrillion BTUs) per year. Every year the earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and land masses receive approximately 3,850,000 exajoules of energy from the sun’s rays. Once this is taken into account anyone should be able to start to grasp precisely why the solar energy industry is eagerly working to improve processes to harness solar power. The Desertec foundation theorizes that covering just 1% of desert environments around the world with solar PV panels could very well power up the entire planet.

Listed below is a brief background of historical solar energy facts:

– The use of solar power by humankind is not new; countless ancient civilizations have utilized it in one form or another.

– Leonardo da Vinci was actually among the 1st modern thinkers to conceive industrial usage of solar energy to heat up water.

– The French scientist Edmond Becquerel observed the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with electrolytic cells in 1839.

– In 1894, Clarence Kemp, an inventor filed and obtained a patent for the design of the world’s 1st solar-powered water heater.

– The world’s 1st solar thermal power station was built by Frank Shuman in 1913.The station that was situated in Egypt utilized parabolic trough-shaped mirrors to be able to heat water in boilers to drive a 65 horsepower engine. The engine pumped nearly 6,000 gallons of water each minute from the Nile River to adjacent crops.

– The first modern photovoltaic (PV) solar cell was designed at Bell Laboratories in the year 1954.

The following are a number of more technical solar energy facts:

– Solar devices are one of two types, active and passive. Active solar power devices use photovoltaic cells and passive devices are thermal based.

– Solar photovoltaic systems are presently the most common energy transformation devices, which make use of solar cells in modules to make light directly into electrical energy.

– Thermal based solar power systems sometimes use molten salts to hold solar energy at very high temperature because of their high specific heat energy qualities.

– The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecasted that by the year 2060 around 33% of the world’s power demands are going to be created by using solar power technologies like photovoltaic panels, water heaters and solar electrical power stations.

– The Nokia 1610 plus was actually the first commercial solar-powered cell phone introduced by the Finnish manufacturer in 1997.

The following is a list of important solar installations throughout the globe:

– Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) is a collection of 9 power facilities situated within the Mojave Desert in California. SEGS maintains the classification of being the world’s biggest solar power station having a bundled production capacity of approximately 354 megawatts.

– In most cases big solar power facilities make use of photovoltaic cells for electric power generation, simply because they are currently much more cost-effective when utilized on a large scale. The planet’s biggest photovoltaic power plant is found in Sarnia, Canada, which provides a production capacity of 97 megawatts.

– The Andasol plant in Spain having an electrical power output of 250 megawatts is the second biggest solar electrical power plant in the world.

– The world’s biggest Scheffler reflector system located in Rajasthan, India is able to cook up to 35,000 meals a day.

– The world’s biggest thin-film photovoltaic power system “Waldpolenz Solar Park” is found in Germany.

– Topaz Solar Farm, a 550-megawatt solar photovoltaic power facility that is presently being built, is going to be among the largest facilities after completion.

Solar energy facts about solar-powered flight:

– The Astro Flight – Sunrise, an unmanned air vehicle developed in 1975 was the 1st solar-powered aircraft.

– The Gossamer Penguin, created in 1980, was the 1st plane only fueled by photovoltaic cells that was capable of carrying a person.

– Helios, an unmanned air vehicle, operated in part by solar PV panels maintains the record for achieving the highest altitude of 96,863 ft, as well as a world record for sustained horizontal flight by a winged aircraft.

– Vanguard 1, an American satellite launched in 1958 was the world’s 1st solar-powered satellite. Amazingly the satellite still orbits and it celebrated its 50th birthday in 2008.

– IKAROS (Interplanetary Kite-craft Accelerated by Radiation Of the Sun) is the 1st spacecraft to successfully demonstrate solar-sail technology in space. The Japanese deployed the spacecraft in 2010 aboard an H-IIA rocket.

Because of the prolonged volatility of oil prices along with the fact that the average individual is actually more aware of their natural environment, there has actually been a greater push for the development of renewable energy. This elevated drive for non-fossil fuel electrical power will definitely aid to lower the cost of solar panels as well as various other renewable energy solutions. A need for corporations to appear environmentally aware has brought about significant ad efforts from energy giants including BP and General Electric, showcasing their financial investments in environmentally friendly sources of power. These energy titans are not the only ones getting into sustainable energy, the rising cost for natural gas, coal, and oil already have forced energy costs higher and made “green” energy sources which include solar power, a possible economic choice for many people. Demand pertaining to solar energy has increased at 30% yearly over the previous 15 years. In 2009, photovoltaic solar installations expanded by 20%, versus 2008, with above 7.3GW of photovoltaic solar panel installations across the globe. Earnings in 2009 from the photovoltaic solar industry also grew, getting to $38.5 billion.

The attraction to solar power is obvious. It is a virtually infinite energy source. It’s free of greenhouse gas emissions, typically believed to lead to planetary climatic change. In industrialized countries that use a huge amount of air conditioning units, it makes more electricity exactly at the time you need to have it– during circumstances of highest electrical power usage. Once put in, solar power systems may very well operate for 30 years or more requiring a minimal amount of routine maintenance or management. At the same time, solar does come with some disadvantages, particularly the poor efficiency of photovoltaic solar modules, which is further reduced by the need to transform DC from the solar power cells into AC current. In addition, solar power relies on the weather conditions and also time of day, requiring battery storage or alternate systems to supplement during periods of weak power generation. Overall the beneficial solar energy facts considerably outweigh the unfavorable. These positive facts assist to exhibit this very important change in the direction of more predominant use of solar power, which definitely will provide a prosperous and healthier planet for many generations to come.

There is no doubt that reduced pollution is one of the greatest advantages of using solar panels. You do not need to be a fervent ecologist to realize the severity of the environmental problems that affect out world today. The fuel crisis, the pollution, climate changes, all these issues affect us one way or the other. There is no point in denying either their importance, or our responsibility in triggering and maintaining them.

But the advantages do not limit to environmental effects, although they are incredibly relevant. There are many other benefits of using solar energy that refer to costs, maintenance or energy independence. Whether you are interested in this energy source because of a profound environmental concern, or you are more attracted to the idea of low-cost energy and money saving, going solar can prove to be a remarkably smart idea.

Below you will find a comprehensive list containing the most relevant reasons why using solar energy is beneficial, so you can have a more complex image of the reason that makes it a viable and attractive alternative to fossil fuel energy. With a wider perspective than before, you might be able to make a wiser and more informed decision.

1. Protecting the environment

We start the list of advantages with the most prominent one, the environmental benefit. There is no secret in the fact that overexploitation of the Earth’s non-renewable resources will eventually lead to their paucity, to higher costs and extreme pollution. We cannot rely forever on fossil fuels to create energy, because this resource will eventually disappear. On top of that, continuing to burn fossil fuels will lead to even more pollution than today, and this will affect the climate and people’s health. Turning to a clean, safe, healthy and renewable source or energy becomes imperative.

a) Solar energy is renewable

One of the first advantages is the fact that it is a renewable source of energy that we can count on for billions of years from now. The sun will keep shining. Using its power will not diminish it, like in the case of fossil fuels. When the Earth will not be able to count on fossil fuels for energy, the Sun will still provide enough power for the whole world.

b) Solar energy is clean

Unlike fossil fuels, it is not polluting. No gas emissions, no unpleasant smells, no smoke – it is totally clean. Considering the growing problem of the greenhouse effect and the climate changes it triggers, finding cleaner sources of energy is the best way to protect the environment and reduce the negative effects fossil fuel energy has on the atmosphere. Choosing solar energy over non-renewable energy means more than simply protecting the environment. It means protecting ourselves and the generations to come. Fighting for a healthy, safe world implies stopping climate changes, global warming and air pollution.

2. Low costs

Certainly, solar energy is environmentally friendly. But, as we already mentioned, the advantages do not end there. Probably the most appealing advantage of all is the low cost. Several factors contribute to this conclusion:

a) Solar energy is free

Once you install a solar system, you can enjoy free energy as long as the Sun is up in the sky. It’s for everybody, you don’t have to pay for it. You can just enjoy its benefits. While fossil fuel energy is brought to you by different energy suppliers you have to pay serious money to, the sun’s energy is there for free.

Yes, the cost of installing such technologies can prove to be a substantial investment, but in time, you will save a lot of money on energy. If you think long-term, the benefits are considerable.

Fossil fuel energy is expensive, and you can see that on your monthly bills. It seems like every year energy prices increase and you have to pay more on the bills. It is obviously not convenient to continue like this. The cost efficiency balance of fossil fuel energy starts to lose its equilibrium in favor of the costs. Until when will you be able to continue paying expensive bills?

Looking at it this way, abandoning fossil fuel energy in favor of a low-cost type of energy is common sense. Relying on solar energy, which is free, will lower electricity bills to an affordable level. In case you choose to produce all the energy your house needs using the power of the sun, you will save serious money on bills.

b) Governmental incentives

Another one of the economic benefits of solar energy is provided by the government. You can save money by using various financial incentives. Tax incentives, various credits and rebates encourage people to go green. Learn about the incentives available in your state, and the costs of installing solar panel systems will substantially lower.

c) Low maintenance costs

The maintenance of a solar system is easy and cheap. After the initial investment in installing the solar system, the chances of spending money on it will be quite limited.

d) Fast recuperation of the initial investment

After you install the solar energy system, you will recuperate your investment in a few years, and you will be able to enjoy its benefits sooner than you thought. When it comes to the long-term advantages of solar power, cost efficiency clearly differentiates this energy source from the rest.

e) Net metering

In case your system produces more energy than you need, you can sell it to your utility company. You can not only save money, but also make money with the help of your solar panels.

f) DIY solutions

You can reduce the initial investment with the help of a “Do It Yourself” kit. You can either learn to build solar panels by yourself, or just learn to install the solar panel. Enjoy the advantages of solar energy while learning something new and exciting.

3. Energy independence

a) Solar energy is self-sufficient

The perspective of energy independence is one of the most appealing reasons to choose this source of energy. Depending on another entity is always frustrating for a human being who likes to have full control over his life. Many times we have to endure power black-outs, accept increasing prices, or wait for somebody from the utility company to come to fix a problem of the energy system.

Have you ever though of the possibility of becoming completely energy independent? Having a house that provides all the energy it needs by itself spares you the frustration of depending on various energy suppliers. Once your solar energy system is able to produce all the necessary energy, your house will become self-sufficient, your bills will lower, and you will have the certainty of a constantly available source of energy.

b) Solar energy is available anywhere

No matter how remote the area where you live is, if the Sun shines, your house will enjoy solar energy. Among the many other advantages, the fact that it can provide energy wherever it is needed is an enormous benefit. It will be able to bring light to locations where power lines cannot be installed.

A solar energy system can be easily installed in any location. Therefore, for people who would like to build vacation houses in the mountains or other remote areas, it provides a viable solution.

4. Flexibility

Probably the most appealing benefits are its low costs and its environmentally friendly character. The economic benefits solar energy brings are undeniable. So is the fact that it helps you contribute to protecting the environment and becoming energy independent.

Related to the idea of independence, there are other advantages that are worth mentioning. For example, solar energy systems are very flexible and adaptable to basically any situation. You can choose the solar technology that suits your needs best, install it where it fits, and invest in it depending on your budget. You can produce only a part of the energy you consume, or you can produce all the energy your house needs.

Installing the system can be done at your own pace. If you cannot buy all the solar panels at once, you can start with smaller investments, and when you have the money, you can install some more panels. If you have a small house, you can install a small system, and so on. Solar energy is flexible, comfortable and convenient.

Despite the fact that solar energy has been used for many years, the technology is still considered to be generally new. As people focus too much on advantages, therefore, the disadvantages of solar energy are often overlooked, and many fall pray to difficulties, having to invest a lot of money on a solar array that might not even work properly for one reason or another.

If you are truly serious about using solar energy to provide your home with electricity, therefore, you will find that a thorough understanding of its disadvantages is crucial. That way, if you do your research properly, and weigh every point carefully, you will find that you can make the best decisions, and benefit from the numerous positive aspects that solar power comes with.

The Contrast between Solar and Other Green Energy Sources

Solar power has been successfully used as an energy source for more than 50 years. Its advantages are well-known to those who are even remotely interested in the development of alternate power sources; however, the truth is that, when compared with some other “green” methods of power production, solar power is not considered to be in first place in terms of efficiency or consistency.

Its main rivals are: geothermal energy, wind power and hydroelectricity. Wind turbines are only starting to become more popular, and new designs are being developed all the time, so it can be considered as a viable solution for the future. When comparing it with solar energy, wind power is generally seen as being at a similar level. It is more expensive; however, it does have one advantage over solar energy, since solar energy doesn’t work at night, for example. On the other hand, wind power can only be harvested in specific locations where the weather conditions are appropriate.

This same problem comes up when comparing solar power to the other two energy sources too. Hydroelectricity is somewhat less clean, however, despite the fact that it does not produce direct waste. Geothermal power is extremely beneficial for the environment on the other hand, being comparable to solar energy in this regard; however, solar power is less efficient.

Nevertheless, geothermal energy is still being researched, as there are numerous problems with it, because the technology is not yet advanced enough to allow regular people to benefit from it directly, by building their own power sources. In this regard, solar panels really shine, as, despite the cost, they can be much easier to manufacture, and maintenance issues are generally rare.

Manufacturing and Buying Costs

One of the greatest disadvantage of solar panels is their cost. Both in terms of manufacturing and buying them ready-made, the costs can be quite discouraging. Of course, the investment mostly depends on the size of the household, as well as on the type of solar energy source you want to use.

A 1 kwh photovoltaic system can range somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000. When we think of the fact that a family living in a 3-bedroom home requires a system that can provide about 1 to 3 kw, the cost of a viable and generally stable solar panel system can double, or even triple.

Solar hot water systems are usually much more accessible, however, requiring an investment of roughly around $2000 to $4000. This is good news for those who would prefer to separate their energy sources, and perhaps use multiple systems for better efficiency.

Even better, the price for solar panel arrays has decreased considerably in the past couple of decades. Before that, the costs were more than 5 times less affordable, and the quality was less than acceptable for such an investment.

As a result of this progress, many scientists are quite confident that, soon, the price and efficiency rating of solar energy will be good enough to allow the replacement of the conventional power grid, and provide people with a useful, clean and powerful alternative to many of the energy sources known today.

Also, if you are up for it, you can buy only the parts, and make your own system based on solar panels. Depending on your needs, you can make it much more economical, at only a fraction of the price that a regular solar panel would cost. While this can be somewhat difficult, with a little work and effort it can be done.

DIY Difficulties

Of course, if you choose to make your own solar panel arrays, you will likely run into a lot of difficulties, especially if you are not used to building things from scratch. Also, in order to lower the costs, you might have to use lower quality materials that might not last on a long term basis.

Manufacturers often emphasize the difference in quality and reliability between a solar panel they make and one that an inexperienced worker may put together. This is, of course, a marketing strategy, as well, and there is no reason why you can’t build a solid, viable solar panel. The effort may be too much for some, but if you like doing some good old fashioned work, the odds will be favorable.

Location Issues

Another difficulty, regardless of the quality of the solar array you use, is the difference between various locations. The main disadvantage in this regard has to do with places where sunlight is not consistently available.

For example, in places closer to the poles, during the winter season, the sun rarely even makes its appearance for more than a few hours. This can make it very difficult to use solar panels for consistent energy production. Also, in areas where the weather is particularly overcast, rainy or foggy, solar panels do provide some energy, but the efficiency is significantly reduced, and you may need more than the estimated amount in order to successfully provide electricity for your entire household.

Of course, if you live in an area where the rain doesn’t fall all that often, and there is an abundance of sunshine almost every day, a solar panel array may well be the best option for you. Depending on other factors, such as the area you have available for it, and the size of the panels themselves, you may be able to achieve excellent results in this case.

Pollution and Long Term Inconsistency

Solar energy may be clean from a general point of view, however, it is still vulnerable to pollution, as this factor can diminish the efficiency of a solar panel. While most of the newer designs don’t have a problem with this, older models can be quite easily affected, as the technology was not so advanced in the past, and the materials used were significantly less reliable.

While the solar panels themselves may not pose a threat to the environment, if you are using an off grid system, the chances are high that you need to use lead acid batteries. Their lifespan is much less favorable than that of a solar panel (roughly 5 years for the battery, in contrast with 20 to 30 for the panels).

As a result, not only are you faced with additional periodic costs, but the lead and sulfuric acid contained in the batteries can prove to be quite detrimental for the environment. Improperly managed, their use can lead to considerable problems.

There are ways around this, of course, as more than 90 % of the materials present in lead batteries can be recovered in the recycling process. What you need to do, therefore, is to ensure that you extend the lifespan of the batteries for as long as possible, and take them to a recycling facility afterwards.

Summary

Generally, it can be said that there are a lot of disadvantages when it comes to using solar energy as an efficient power source for your home. As we have seen, however, all of these drawbacks depend on the ability of people to determine exactly what they need, and compare the results to their abilities. With a correct assessment of the situation, you may actually be able to come up with a viable solution.

There is no reason why you cannot benefit from the positive aspects of this energy source, however, it has to be noted that the technology is still in its early days, and if you want to obtain a good cost/quality ratio, you will have to do a lot of research, and be aware of all the potential issues.

However, experts estimate that, in a few years, solar energy will gradually become much cheaper, more accessible, as well as more efficient. Keep an eye out for technological advancements, therefore, if you are a solar energy enthusiast, as you never know when a good opportunity may “shine” upon you in just the right way.

Where does solar energy come from? The answer to that question is simple. It comes from the radiation of the sun. There’s little doubt how powerful of energy source the sun is. After all, just one hour of the sun’s energy could actually meet the world’s energy needs for a year. Currently, only 0.001 percent of the sun’s energy is being harnessed.

Of course, like anything else, there are pros and cons to using solar energy.

What Are The Positive Aspects?

Renewable Energy Source

When it comes to renewable energy sources, the sun’s energy is plentiful. This energy is accessible as long as there is sun, which is set to be around for another five billion years. There’s no chance of running out of solar energy unlike other kinds of energy sources. Best of all, every place around the world can use this type of energy, if they harness it correctly.

Decrease or Eliminate The Electric Bills

With solar energy, you’ll meet many of your energy needs yourself. This means you can save money on your electric bills. The amount of money you save is going to depend on how big your solar system is and what your heat and electricity usage is.

On top of that, you could actually produce a lot more energy than you need, which could be exported onto the grid and given to you in the form of bonus payments. You can also sell the extra energy at high rates for the day and buy it from the grid when rates are lower in the evening.

Assortment of Applications

There are all kinds of reasons you can use solar energy. You can produce photovoltaics or solar thermal. It can be used to generate electricity in areas that don’t have access to the grid, don’t have an unlimited supply of clean water and can’t power space satellites. This energy can be combined with building materials. Think Sharp. Sharp recently presented the market with transparent solar energy windows.

Maintenance Cost Are Low

There’s not much maintenance that needs to be done on solar energy systems. You just need to ensure they stay clean. You can do this as often as you like or at least two times a year. The majority of trustworthy solar panel manufacturers provide a warranty of up to 25 years. Since solar panels offer no moving parts, you don’t have to contend with wear and tear.

The only part that will need to be changed every five to 10 years is the inverter, as it works all the time to convert the solar energy into solar thermal (heat) and solar PV (electricity). The initial money you spend on your solar system is saved on the very little repair work that needs to be done.

Technological Advancement

The solar panel industry is always looking for ways to boost and improve technology. The innovations in nanotechnology and quantum physics can significantly raise solar panels’ effectiveness… doubling, perhaps even tripling, the electrical output the systems provide.

What Are The Negative Aspects?

Cost

When it comes to buying a solar system, the initial cost is going to be extremely high. While some governments have offered up plans to offset costs to encourage folks to use renewable energy sources, you still need to pay for them upfront. You’ll be paying for the solar panels, batteries, inverter, wiring and installation. Due to constantly development, however, it’s relatively safe to think the prices will eventually drop.

Dependent Upon Weather

While solar energy is still collectable during rainy and cloudy day, the system’s efficiency will drop. Solar panels needs sunlight to effectively collect solar energy. If there are several days of no sun – rainy and cloudy – you’ll notice the difference. Don’t forget that no solar energy is collected at night.

High Costs To Store Solar Energy

You either need to use the solar energy immediately or store it in large batteries. These batteries, which are often used for off-the-grid solar systems, are charged throughout the day so it can be utilized at night. This is great for when solar energy is used all day but also expensive. It’s usually best to use the solar energy during the daytime hours and use energy from the grid in the evening hours… provided the system has been hooked up to the grid. Most energy demand is highest in the day, allowing people to meet a majority of it with the solar energy system.

Takes Up A Copious Amount Of Space

If you’re looking to produce an excessive amount of energy, you’ll need a lot of solar panels. That’s because you’ll want to collect as much of the sun radiation as you can. Solar panels demand space, and there are some roofs that just don’t have the space required. An alternative to this issue is to install them in the yard but you’ll need to make sure the sun will hit them. Even if you don’t have the space for the number of panels you’d like, a small amount will suffice in meeting most of your energy needs.

Pollution Problems

You wouldn’t think that pollution would be associated with solar panels, but it is. The only difference is that it’s much less than other energy sources. How so? You still have to contend with transportation of the system along with its installation, which lead to the emission of greenhouse gases. In the manufacturing process of the solar photovoltaics, there’s hazardous products and toxic materials being used. Remember though, the amount of pollution this system gives off is much, much less than other alternative energy sources.